Home > Ed Balls returns to the political fray… and teaches Gangnam style to Nick Robinson

Ed Balls returns to the political fray… and teaches Gangnam style to Nick Robinson

Written by Rod Muir on 17 November 2016 in Diary

Diary

The former shadow chancellor gave an impromptu dancing lesson after his interview on the Today programme.

Ed Balls has warned that the Bank of England has become too powerful in the aftermath of the financial crisis and must be reined in.

The former shadow chancellor put his dancing shoes to one side to discuss a paper which he has co-authored in his capacity as a senior fellow at the John F Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

"The case for independent central banks is as strong as it’s ever been," he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. "At a time of economic uncertainty but also great political risk, we need the [US] Fed and the Bank of England to play these roles. But the reforms we’ve seen over the last few years have hugely concentrated power in central banks. I think it’s unfinished business."

Later in the interview, Balls discussed other unfinished business - namely his plans for this weekend’s Strictly Come Dancing extravaganza, live from the Tower Ballroom in Blackpool.

"This Saturday in Blackpool I am doing a jive. I’ve discovered I am coming down on a rope, not fired out of a cannon. It will be a proper jive. Even Lord Sugar is now backing my efforts. So I must be doing okay," he told the show.

But the Strictly-themed shenanigans did not stop there.

It has now emerged that moments after his interview was over, Balls managed to rope in Today presenter Nick Robinson for an impromptu dancing lesson.

In footage released by the programme, a reluctant Robinson can be seen struggling to grasp the Gangnam style routine that the shadow chancellor spent last week perfecting.

As the lesson goes on, Robinson protests: "Do you think my credibility is ever going to recover? Is his?"